Electrical connector



L. E. EISENHAUER ETAL ELECTRIC L CONNECTOR April 26, 1960 2,934,592

Filed May 7, 1956 INVENTORS LEIGH E.EISENHAUER By CALVIN c. BEDENBAUGH ATTORNEYS United States Patent i ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Leigh E. Eisenhaner, Lyndon, Ky., and Calvin C. Bedenbaugh, New Albany, Ind., assignors to William A. Eisenhauer, William P. Ellwood, Ida J. Eisenhauer, and Leigh E. Eisenhauer, copartners, doing business under the name of The Eisenhauer Manufacturing Company, Van Wert, Ohio Application May 1, 1956, Serial No. 583,220

g 7 Claims. Cl. 174-92 This invention relates to electrical wiring and more particularly to an electrical connector for wiring.

One object of this invention is to provide an electrical connector which is composed of a relatively few simple parts, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable and safe in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector which has provision for electrically connecting together two conductors and also for firmly holding them in place.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of electrical wiring including an electrical connector for the conductors shown, all in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view similar to Figure l but with one of the connector parts removed to better illustrate the connection between the wires of the conductors.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the electrical connector or splice box.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the splice box.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view'of the splice box.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a wire connector.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the wire connector.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, three electrical conductors are indicated by the reference numerals 10, 12 and 14 respectively. Each conductor comprises a pair of wires and each wire is separately covered by insulation. The pair of insulated wires of each conductor may be two conductor either twisted pair or parallel. The conductor. comprises 'apair of wires 16 and 18, the conductor 12 comprises a pair of wires 20 and 22, and the conductor 14 comprises a pair of wires 24 and 26. All of the wires are separately covered by insulation as indicated, and as previously pointed out, the pair of insulated wires of each conductor may be two conductor either twisted pair or parallel.

The insulated wires of each conductor are secured together throughout their lengths, that is, the insulation of the wire of each pair is secured to the insulation of the other wire as seen in Figure 1. However, in the region of the junction box the insulated wires of each pair are separated as shown.

Referring to Figure 2, the wires 16, 20 and 24 have juxtaposed portions stripped of insulation as indicated at 28, and a connector 30 is provided for holding the juxtaposed wire portions together. The wire connector is of a relatively soft, ductile electrically conducting sheet metal material having the generally channel shaped portions 32 and 34, the base portions of which are connected as indicated by web 36. The portion 32 has side flanges 33 and portion 34 has side flanges 35. The portion 32 of connector 30 is deformed and clamped about the stripped portions of the juxtaposed wires 16, 20 and 2,934,592 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 24 to hold the same in tight contacting relation, and the part 34 of the connector is deformed and clamped about the adjacent insulated portions of the wires.

The wires 18, 22 and 26 have juxtaposed portions which are stripped of insulation as indicated at 38, and a similar connector 30 has the portion 32 embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of these wires and the part 34 of the'connector embraces and clamps together the insulated portions of these wires adjacent to the stripped portions.

A splice box 40 is provided, composed of half sections 42 and 44 which are held in assembled relationship by means of a tubular rivet 46. The half sections 42 and 44 are formed of a suitable insulating material, such as Bakelite. The abutting faces of the half sections 42 and 44 cooperate with each other in defining a pair of through passages 48 and 50. These passages are each of uniform circular cross section with an exception of an intermediate annular portion thereof which is of somewhat enlarged diameter as indicated at 52. The splice box passages are provided to receive the electrically connected wires of the conductor. Thus, the spliced wires 16, 20 and 24 extend through one of the passages and the spliced wires, including the wires 18, 22 and 26 extend through the other passage of the splice box. The enlarged portion of each passage is provided to receive the part 34 of each connector and the annular shoulders defined by the opposite ends of the enlargements provide abutments preventing axial movement of the connectors and hence of the wires embraced by the connectors.

It will thus be seen that the wires of the three condoctors 10, 12 and 14 are spliced together and insulated from each other in an extremely simple yet safe manner, the stripped portions of the wires being entirely within the splice box and the wires being prevented from shifting relative thereto.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application for Christmas Tree Lights, Ser. No. 525,634, filed August 1, 1955 and now abandoned.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. An electrical connection comprising first andsec- 0nd electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having intermediate portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a one-piece metal connector having a portion formable into a longitudinally split annular part embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors and holding the same in contacting relation, said connector having a second portion also forinableinto a longitudinally split annular part tightly and frictionally embracing and clamping together the insulated portions of said conductors adjacent said stripped portions, a splice box formed of electrically insulating material and comprising mating half sections, said half sections having opposed surfaces cooperating to define a through passage receiving the stripped portions and insulated portions aforesaid of said conductors, said passage having an enlarged annular portion intermediate its ends providing shoulders engaging the opposite ends of the second portion of said connector to prevent axial movement of said connector and hence said conductors relative to said splice box, and means for removably securing together the half sections of said splice box.

2. An electrical connection comprising first and second electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having intermediate portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a onepiece connector having a part capable of adjustment for encompassing a variable number of conductors embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors and holding the same in contacting relation, said connector having a second part also capable of adiustment for encompassing a variable number of conductors tightly and frictionally embracing and clamping together the insulated portions of said conductors adjacent said stripped portions, and a member of electricallyinsulating material having a passage receivingthe stripped portions and insulated portionsaforesaid of said conductors, said passage having an enlarged annular portion intermediate its ends providing shoulders engaging the opposite ends of said second part of said connector to prevent axial movement of said connector and hence said conductors relative to said member.

3. An electrical connection comprising first and second electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a connectorhaving a part embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors and holding the same in contacting relation, a member of electrically insulating material having a passage receiving the stripped portions of said conductors, said member being divided longitudinally of said passage and cooperating engaging means on said connector and said member for holding said conductors against axial movement within said passage relative to said member.

41 An electrical connection comprising first and second electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a connector having a part capable of adjustment to encompass a variable number of conductors embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors and holding the same in contacting relation, a member of electrically insulating material having a passage receiving the stripped portions of said conductors, said member being divided longitudinally of said passage, and cooperating engaging means on said connector and said member for holding said conductors against axial movement within said passage relative to said member.

5. An electrical connection comprising first and second electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a connector having a part embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors and holding the same in contacting relation, a member of electrically insulating material having a passage receiving the stripped portions of said conductors, said member being divided longitudinally of said passage, and an enlarged annular porton within said passage for receiving a portion of said connector and operable in conjunction therewith to hold said connector and conductors against axial movement within said passage.

6. An electrical connection comprising first and second electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having intermediate portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a connector having a part embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors and holding the same in contacting relation, 21 member of electrically insulating material having a passage receiving the stripped portions of said conductors, said member being divided longitudinally of said passage, and cooperating engaging means on said connector and said member for holding said conductors against axial movement Within said passage relative to said member.

7. An electrical connection comprising first and second electrical conductors, electrical insulation covering said conductors, said conductors having intermediate portions extending side by side and stripped of insulation, a onepiece connector having a first part which is generally U-shaped to receive said stripped portions of said conductors and adapted to be wrapped tightly therearound to forma first longitudinal split annular part embracing and clamping together the stripped portions of said conductors holding the same in contacting relationship, said connector having a second part closely associated with said first part which is generally U-shaped to receive an insulated portion of said conductors adjacent said stripped portion and adapted to be wrapped tightly therearound to form a second longitudinally split annular part larger than said first split annular part tightly and frictionally embracing and clamping together the said insulated portion of said conductors, and a member of electrically insulating material having a passage receiving the stripped portions and insulated portions aforesaid of said conductors, said passage having an enlarged annular portion intermediate its ends providing shoulders engaging the opposite ends of said second annular part of said connector to prevent axial movement of said connector and hence said conductors relative to said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 962,921 Schneider June 28, 1910 964,969 Hesterhagen July 19, 1910 1,324,994 Benjamin Dec. 16, 1919 1,927,382 Andrew Sept. 19, 1933 2,158,004 Douglas May 9, 1939 2,241,049 Benander. May 6, 1941 2,249,492 Pennell July 15, 1941 2,560,683 Buchanan July 17, 1951 2,832,816 Curtiss Apr. 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 402,839 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1933 

